Abstract

An essential book for anyone thinking of taking, or about to take, the Professional Skills Tests for Teachers. You must pass these tests before starting your course, and this up to date text tells you exactly what to expect and how to prepare for the latest versions of the tests. There is an emphasis on support and clear guidance throughout, along with plenty of practice material, so you can face the tests with confidence and succeed in your application. It provides:

• a guide to the variety of Initial Teacher Training (ITT) provision and routes into teaching
• a preparation timeline
• comprehensive coverage of both the numeracy and literacy tests
• an audit of your strengths and areas for improvement in literacy and numeracy
• example questions and answers, highlighting common errors, providing top tips for success, with theories and methods fully explained
• full practice papers plus test-taking and revision strategies
• discrete topics within the numeracy and literacy sections enabling focused learning, with explanations and hundreds of examples
• larger format pages, with topics covered across double page spreads for ease of use and more memorable learning.

Got this book a few weeks before my tests were booked and found it to be very beneficial on both the numeracy and literacy sections. It is clear to follow and allows you to work through the different parts, systematically, so you can work out which areas you may need to concentrate on.

The book has sections of practice questions, which I found incredibly useful when I was completing the tests as I knew exactly how they would be set out and what to expect. This made me feel a lot more relaxed and I was, therefore, able to pass both tests first time.

Would definitely recommend for anyone looking to booking their tests.

Trish Kreft has over 35 years’ experience of teaching and managing mathematics and teacher education in a variety of settings, including schools, further education, adult and community learning and university.  Since 2006, Trish has been running her own training company as well as working as an independent consultant in mathematics teacher education, guidance and quality assurance.

Annabel Charles has a background in secondary English teaching and test development. She currently works freelance on a range of projects linked to literacy and assessment, including teacher training and item writing.

As a long-standing member of the AlphaPlus Consultancy, Jenny Lawson has devised many online tests for trainee teachers. Alongside her teaching and examining career, she has authored, and been the series editor for, numerous texts for ICT and mathematics from KeyStage 1 through to A Level and GNVQs. Now retired from full time teaching, Jenny focuses on her own writing and also offers mentoring for writers wanting to be published.

On passing both the Literacy and Numeracy Professional Skills Tests first time, I can definitely say that this textbook is an excellent revision resource!

The fact that the book highlights what you should expect when taking the test is very reassuring, and the comprehensive coverage of all the relevant topics was useful when it came to knowing exactly what to revise.

In addition, the use of clear example questions and answers, and the fact that it includes numerous practice papers were without a doubt two of the best features of the book. Using these tools meant that I could monitor my performance and finely tune any weaknesses with ease.

This book left me feeling incredibly confident and I would whole-heartedly recommended it to anyone looking for stress-free preparation or a comprehensive guide to passing the tests!